Bully Ray Ponders Potential Connection Between AEW Star & WWE Star's Release

It was house cleaning season for WWE over the weekend, with the promotion releasing several notable names, including Cedric Alexander, the Authors of Pain, Giovanni Vinci, and Blair Davenport. And while all the release caught people's eyes, WWE letting go of Davenport, who previously worked in AEW under her real name, Bea Priestley, particularly got Bully Ray's attention.

The reason for that was revealed on Monday's "Busted Open Radio," where the two-time Hall of Famer suggested Davenport's release could be a form of payback on WWE's part for comments made by an AEW star last April.

"Dave, remember how I've always said that pro wrestling is like the mafia?" Bully said. "They don't screw with you, they screw with your family. Maybe Will Ospreay never should've made those comments about Triple H and Stephanie McMahon."

That theory would seem to be a reach for most. While Ospreay and Davenport had previously been in a long-term relationship, the couple broke up years ago, long before Ospreay's made his comments about Triple H and McMahon, itself a response to comments Triple H made about Ospreay. But even after being informed of their relationship status, Bully didn't back off his theory, suggesting that it still could've played into WWE's decision to let Davenport go.

"Sure it would, absolutely it would, without a doubt," Bully said. "Whether or not they're together, I don't know, they could've been together at one time. But yes, it absolutely would have something to do with it. Don't kid yourself. You've never spent a day in the WWE. You don't know how they work."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription